‘I can’t see it’ â Paul Nicholls sure of one Cheltenham fancy as he reveals Shark Hanlon text
Paul Nicholls can’t see anything beating Willie Mullins‘ stable star Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The nine-year-old has emerged as a leading name of his generation, winning a hat-trick of Irish Gold Cups, and will bid to do the same in Gloucestershire when he seeks to land his third blue riband event in a row on Friday.
Mullins’ standout Irish raider has thrown himself into the pantheon of National Hunt greats, drawing comparison with other superstars of the sport, namely the Nicholls-trained two-time Gold Cup winner and five-time King George ace Kauto Star.
Fellow trainer, Irishman Shark Hanlon, began the fighting talk, stating that the Turley family-owned son of Timos would down his English adversary if they were to face off in a theoretical battle. However, Nicholls has opened up exclusively to Mirror Racing about a telling text he sent to Hanlon on the back of this comment, while being bullish about the odds-on poke in the Gold Cup.
“I did text Shark the next day, in jest, and he was talking a load of s***e,” joked Betfair ambassador Nicholls when asked about the Galopin Des Champs and Kauto Star debate. “It’s hard comparing.
“They were saying when Kauto was winning all those races, how would he compare with Arkle? It’s impossible. One thing I do know is that Kauto had enough ability to win Tingle Creeks.
“In all those races he won⦠In one season he was the best horse in the UK and Ireland over two, two-and-a-half, and three. Not every horse would do that. It’s impossible to determine. It would have been interesting. At his very best, it would have been very interesting. Who’s the best horse? They’re both super, super, super horses in their own right.”
While Nicholls feels as though the versatility of his former stable star could mean he’s held in higher regard than Mullins’ fancy, he admits that it is highly likely the nine-year-old becomes just the fifth horse to ever claim three Gold Cups.
“He’ll win at Cheltenham this week,” Nicholls added. “I can’t see anything beating him. The way he’s improved this year, the longevity is a little bit like Denman and Kauto, which is what you need in a very good horse. And riding him from the front positively seemed to have suited him a little bit. Ultimately, he’d be very hard to beat. I’d be surprised if he was beaten.
“They [the Irish] have got some smart horses to run this year, especially in those Grade 1 races. Do you know what? The best horses always win those Grade 1 races. They should because they’re the best horse. They’ve got an advantage on advantageous terms. Those horses win the best races because they’re the best.”
To hear more from Betfair Ambassadors Paul Nicholls and Rachael Blackmore watch them on Betfair’s Racing⦠Only Bettor podcast Cheltenham preview special now here.
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